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Sunday, October 7, 2012

The weather has gotten chilly, so I decided to braise some country style pork ribs. It's basically the same meat as a pork shoulder roast, but since it's cut into pieces, it's easier to portion.

I'm still cooking for one while my husband is in the hospital, but I don't mind having leftovers - it's nice to come home in the evening and be able to reheat something - and this is made for reheating.

But still, two pieces was plenty for me and for leftovers for a few days. Of course, of you're feeding a crowd, you can multiply the recipe as needed.

I cooked this in my crock pot, which is incredibly convenient, but you could do the braising in the oven or in a heavy pot on the stove - whatever works for you. Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the meat as well as your crock pot - temperatures vary.

When making a braised dish like this, I like to make it the day before, then refrigerate. The next day, I can skim the fat off the top and reheat as much as I want to serve.

You'll need enough water to cover the ribs about halfway up, but don't be tempted to add a lot of water, particularly if you're cooking in a slow cooker. If you're braising on the stove top or in the oven, you might need a tad more water, since it's more likely to evaporate.

If your sauce is too thin, you can remove the meat and cook the sauce uncovered to reduce it. If the sauce is too thick, you can add water to thin it.

Sprinkle the ribs with salt, paprika, allspice, and black pepper. Brown the meat on all sides in your slow cooker (if your has a setting to do so). If your slow cooker can't brown meat, you can do this on the stove, or skip this step.

Add the diced onions and Hunt's tomato sauce to the ribs in the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the ribs about half way. (You could also use beer, wine, or stock, if you prefer.)

Cover the slow cooker and cook until the meat is tender and falling off the bone - about 4 hours. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, as needed.

Transfer the meat and all the sauce to a storage container. Cool, then refrigerate.

When thoroughly chilled, skim the fat off the top of the sauce.

Cut the meat into serving sized-chunks (or you can shred it, if you prefer) and reheat in the sauce. Serve.

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Cookbook author and food writer for Serious Eats, Whisk Magazine, and the Left Hand Valley Courier, among others. Columnist at American Recycler. Blogger at www.cookistry.com and reviews.cookistry.com.

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